Tick-to-host transmission exposes B. burgdorferi to new environmental pressures, like a new immune system to avoid and new tissues to colonize. In response, B. burgdorferi begin to express genes required for infection. We are examining environmental cues that B. burgdorferi recognize to coordinate this gene expression.

As part of a large screen, we have identified hundreds of potential interactions between B. burgdorferi and human extracellular and secreted proteins. Now, we are working to validate these interactions, characterize the mechanisms of binding, and examine their roles in human infection.